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I had a lovely post composed, hit preview, then back and lost it all. Oh, well.

I live in southern Oregon and mostly ride horses. But I do find/make time to quilt.

I started a couple of years ago when I saw "Spring Storm" by Toni Whitney. I knew I had to make one of those. It took over a year to finally start, and by then I had forgotten which fabrics were for which pieces! Now I label every fabric as I choose it. So I made it and didn't like it so I gave it away and made another and then another. What I like about the art quilts, is that I can take one pattern and tweak it for my friends. I made the horse look like their own horse and then picked border fabrics in their favorite colors.

This year I turned 50 and my mother offered to buy me a quilt and quilt it for me. She has a long-arm machine. Not one to do the easy thing, I chose "Northern Expressions" as my quilt. Mom had a finished top so I could see how it looked. Really a neat idea combining pieced blocks with Alaska-themed appliques. (I grew up in AK.) I have finished one top and am almost done with a second one which I am giving to Mom as a thank you for the birthday present. Next month I am going to AK and will bring these tops with me for her to quilt. I am also working on McKenna Ryan's "Petals of My Heart II" for a friend who moved. We went halvesies (is that a word?) on the pattern and fabric because she wanted to learn how to quilt. But then she moved, so I offered to make hers for her (yikes) and then I will make mine. I'm half done and want to get it done to take with me so Mom can quilt it. Whew.

Next year my daughter is getting married and I offered to make her a quilt. However, I have decided to wait until after the first of the year to even start looking.

The rest of my life? Well, I've been married for 27 years and we have two children. We have five horses, three dogs and one cat. I ride my horses between 800 and 1000 miles a year, mostly in the mountains of Oregon. We camp and pack in with the horses and dogs. I play the keyboard/piano and sing on the worship team at church. And I proctor tests several days a week to finance my pursuits.

I had a lovely post composed, hit preview, then back and lost it all. Oh, well.

I so feel your pain. I finally had to walk away earlier, which was a good thing as I have cut about half of my MQ7 2nd step. BTW, where do you live in Oregon, if you don't mind saying, I'm not very far from Ontario and my son lives a few miles north of La Grande.

Life is like a quilt...bits & pieces, joy & sorrow, stitched with love

Welcome Traildancer - you live in a nice part of Oregon - have lived many years in the Medford, Shady Cove and Prospect areas and also 3 1/2 years in Ukiah OR. Back in Washington now and have now lived here almost twice as many years as Oregon.

Glad you found us and am sure you will enjoy the site and the folks here very much.

Traildancer, welcome to the club. sounds like you keep very busy, You will love it here ,we have lots of members out your way I'm sure you will meet them here soon. Look foward to seeing your quilts and again welcome. Barbara

Liberty,Missouri

Traildancer, if you click on Gini's name, and then click into her gallery, you will find a picture of this quilt. Each time you click on the picture, it will enlarge. I remember she said that she made this for a friend based on a photo.

On the banks of the Mississippi River in north central Minnesota (Brainerd lakes area)

What I like about the art quilts, is that I can take one pattern and tweak it for my friends.

I did notice your interest in art quilts. You might want to go to the Groups Section of QCA and click on the Grazy Art Qulter's Group; then the media section to see some more art quilts.

Both Gini and I do art quilts fairly regularly. You can also check out my gallery, if you like. I have a few of mine posted there. To get there, click on my name (at the top of this post) - which will take you to my homepage, then click on "my gallery" to see my quilt pictures...including my art quilts.